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SpinDistribute.com Article Directory

The following article was published in our article directory on April 29, 2011.
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What Is Distance Learning?

Article Category: Education

Author Name: Mark Jones

Distance learning, also called distance education, is an alternative, non-traditional type of learning which employs modern technology and special teaching methods and techniques to impart learning "at a distance"-that is, to teach students who are not physically present in a classroom or a traditional educational setting. The program is individualized to the learner in that he dictates the pace and the place of study, and the study hours as well. For the most part, the student learns independently, often with the use of online or print modules, and with minimum contact with a live teacher or facilitator. This off-campus study may sometimes be supplemented with on-campus or in-school sessions when some hands-on skills training is necessary, or for evaluation purposes such as to take a periodic examination.

The aim of distance learning is to provide an alternative method of education for people who cannot physically attend classes in the traditional manner. Unlike other people, they can't attend school mainly because they are employed, they live too far away from the school or university, or it would be too great an inconvenience for them to study in the traditional fashion. But apart from these restrictions, they are very capable of studying, and they may in fact be more motivated and eager to finish a degree than other people.

Distance education may sound like a relatively new trend, but it has been around for more than two centuries already. The earliest known instance is in Boston in 1728, in which a teacher taught shorthand lessons via weekly correspondence. More modern forms of distance learning also relied much on the postal system. Perhaps the first university to offer a college degree through distance learning was the University of London in 1858. In the United States, the University of Chicago and Columbia University were pioneers in the field of distance education.

Today, with the widespread use of computers and the internet, distance education has become very synonymous with online education. Studying online degrees has become very popular, and most of the bigger universities now offer many courses for online study. It is estimated that about 96% of the larger universities have online course offerings, corresponding to over 15,000 enrollments in all. It is also estimated that in the fall term of 2005, more than 3.2 million students in the U.S. took at least one online course. These numbers give an indication of how popular online learning has now become.

To take advantage of this fact, a number of "schools" or "learning centers" have been established, offering online degrees and other, more short-term learning programs. They turned out to be mere "diploma mills" which hardly taught anything of value; their only intention was to award a fake degree or diploma in exchange for some "tuition" money. The "student" in most cases was a willing collaborator who needed the fake diploma to improve his resume and increase his chances of landing a job.

One can easily avoid getting into these dubious "schools" and receiving inferior education by checking the credentials of the online provider, particularly its accreditation. Stay away from those that offer "instant" diplomas with minimal actual study. In general, it is safe to enroll in the larger, more established universities. As mentioned, most of these do have online offerings that will cater to the needs of anyone intending to study online.

Keywords: Online degrees, online degree, online degree programs, online courses, online masters degree programs, distance learning

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